The mother of a severely autistic man gave an emotional testimony Thursday at a hearing in Vista for two caregivers accused of abusing her son.

Police say 50-year-old Michael Garritson and 27-year-old Matthew McDuffie were supposed to be caring for 23-year-old Jamie Oakley, a man with severe autism who can't verbally communicate, has to wear a diaper and tends to injure himself when he's distressed.

Kim Oakley said the caregivers were well aware of the fact that a camera was in her son's room and that she installed a motion operated camera before going on an overseas trip that spanned several weeks.

When she returned, she says she was shocked with what she saw in the video and that she watched the clips over and over again to make sure she what she was seeing was real.

The prosecutor showed several of the clips in court Thursday -- first playing them, then asking Oakley to describe what she saw.

Oakley says the video shows both McDuffy and Garritson kneeing and hitting him, twisting his arms, and poking him in the eye to the point where it became infected.

Investigators say they captured more than 2,000 images of abuse.

"I wanted to feel the pain," Oakley said of the images, which she watched repeatedly. "I wanted to see them over and over again to make sure what I was seeing was real because it's actually so shocking."

A judge has yet to decide if enough evidence was presented for the defendants to stand trial. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to their charges. 

A man gunned down Thursday in Chicago marked what police say is the city's 500th homicide of the year. It's a dubious distinction that hasn't occurred since 2008, when the city ended the year with 512 murders.

Chicago surpassed 2011's 435 murder total in October.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the total "an unfortunate and tragic milestone, which not only marks a needless loss of life but serves as a reminder of the damage that illegal guns and conflicts between gangs cause in our neighborhoods."

"The brave officers of the Chicago Police Department work tirelessly to continually reduce crime, but this is not just a law enforcement issue," Emanuel said in a statement.

Around noon Friday, News Affairs released a statement to clarify that Chicago's murder total remains at 499 because classification of one death investigation remains pending. They would not specify which death is pending.

Police released few details about the fatal shooting that resulted in the reported 500th murder.

The man, identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office as 40-year-old Nathaniel T. Jackson, was shot around 9 p.m. and pronounced dead at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital at 12:18 a.m.

Tawfik Salman, owner of Noah Foods, said he heard four or five gunshots and dropped to the floor.

"It was pop pop pop pop," Salman said. "We seen a guy laying down in front of the store. I just went to the phone and called police."

According to police, homicides are up 17 percent from last year and shootings up 11 percent.

"It's sad, you know. I guess this is part of the violence in Chicago," Salman said. "It's a sad thing that's going on."

Police said Chicago's 499th homicide victim was a man who died after he was shot at least four times – including in the face and chest – in a Gage Park neighborhood alley Wednesday night on the Southwest Side.

Frederico Martinez died from gunshot wounds he suffered near his home, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

Police said the 32-year-old Martinez was standing with a female in an alleyway down the block from his home when a light-colored pick-up truck approached and somebody inside opened fire on the two just before 10 p.m.

Martinez was shot in the face, chest and both arms and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 10:41 p.m., authorities said.

Behind the troubling statistics, flashing lights and crime tape, communities throughout the city are searching for solutions.

"There's no magic spell that can end it. It's a matter of people and neighborhoods coming together and deciding that it's not going to happen," said neighbor Robert Grider.

Larry Pickens, who is running in the special election to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. in his now vacated 2nd Congressional seat, offered a few suggestions Thursday: "Teaching our young people alternative dispute resolution, non-violent strategies for addressing conflict and getting guns off the street."

The San Diego Zoo’s giant panda cub rang in the end of 2012 by acing his weekly exam Thursday, which included playing with a bunch of new toys. Oh, the perks of panda life.

Zookeepers say five-month-old Xiao Liwu did great during his latest veterinary exam. In the midst of all the attention from vets, the cub also found time to play with some new toys, including a plastic ring shaped like a doughnut, which he used as a little chair.

He also played with a plastic ball and a stick of bamboo during the exam.

Zookeepers say the happy, healthy panda cub is growing normally, showing more movement and activity than in past weeks.

His newfound mobility is allowing him to explore more of the panda living areas, and he’s begun venturing outside, showing more interest in his surroundings.

They grow up so fast these days, right?
 

A man was shoved onto subway train tracks and killed Thursday evening in New York City, in the second such fatal subway push attack in the city in a month.

Police are looking for a woman who was seen mumbling to herself before she allegedly pushed the unsuspecting man to his death in front of an oncoming No. 7 train at a Queens subway station Thursday evening, police said.

The man was standing on the northbound platform of the 40th Street and Queens Boulevard elevated train when police say the woman walked up behind him and pushed him onto the tracks. Witnesses told police the man had his back to the woman and didn't appear to notice her. No words were exchanged.

The man died at the scene. His identity has not been released.

Witnesses told police the female suspect had been walking back and forth on the platform and talking to herself before sitting down, alone, on a wooden bench near the north end of the walkway. When the train pulled into the station shortly after 8 p.m., the woman got up off the bench and pushed the man, according to witness statements.

The suspect then fled the platform, running down a flight of stairs to the turnstile area and down a second flight to Queens Boulevard. It's unknown where she went from there. Police released surveillance video of her running onto the street.

The suspect is described as being a heavyset woman about 5 feet 5 inches tall with brown or blond hair. She was wearing a white and gray ski jacket and Nike sneakers at the time of the incident.

"I heard it. One of my customers was on train and heard it going over body," Jiovanni Briones, who works near the scene, told NBC 4 New York.

Earlier this month, Naeem Davis, a 30-year-old deli worker, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder for allegedly pushing another man off a Midtown subway platform to his death.

Ki-Suk Han, 58, was stuck by a southbound Q train after being pushed off the platform at the 49th Street station Dec. 3.

Two aircrew members of a crashed U.S. Navy helicopter have yet to be released from the hospital after two weeks of receiving treatment, Navy officials said Thursday. 

The December 12 incident occurred around 11:15 p.m. at Naval Air Station North Island on Coronado.

According to officials, the helicopter was operated by four aircrew personnel assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron-75, also known as the Wolfpack.

Two of the injured were transported to UCSD Medical Center. Another two people were taken to Scripps Mercy hospital.

Two of the crew members were released from the hospital. The other two remain in the hospital and are in "stable" condition, according to a Navy spokesperson. 

One is now at the Naval Medical Center San Diego and the other is at Alvarado hospital. 

Their injuries ranged from broken bones to scrapes, NBC News reported at the time of the crash. 

The helicopter, a Navy MH-60 Romeo Seahawk helicopter, crashed during a routine training.

The Seahawk is the Navy's primary anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopter. It has several secondary missions that range from search and rescue, to relaying communications.

Seahawks are typically operated by two pilots, a sensor operator, and depending on the mission - an additional sensor operator or a rescue swimmer.

The crash was being called a "Class A Mishap" by the Navy. This is the most serious type of mishap. And a crash is designated as "Class A" when there is damage in excess of $2 million or loss of life.

An investigation into the crash is progressing, and no further information was available Thursday. 

Classic car owners may soon have a license plate to match their vintage style.

Starting next week, motorists can purchase one of three designs dating back to the 50s, 60s and 70s.

The designs each cost $50. One is yellow with black font, another is black with yellow font and the third is bright blue with yellow font. 

Download the application here.

Preordering starts January 1, but if 7,500 people don't order the vintage plates by 2015, the DMV will issue refunds. 

The legacy plate program was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in October. 

Three police officers were injured after a suspect grabbed a gun and opened fire inside a New Jersey police station early Friday, police said.

Police shot the gunman dead during the confrontation, Gloucester Township police said.

The incident happened around 5:45 a.m. when a suspect that had been brought in for a domestic incident got into a confrontation with officers, police said.

"A violent struggle occurred while the suspect was being processed," Gloucester Township Deputy Chief David Harkins said.

The suspect then grabbed a gun and opened fire.

One of the officers was shot below his bulletproof vest, NBC 10 Philadelphia reported. He underwent surgery at Cooper University hospital and is now listed in stable condition. A spokesperson for the hospital says that there were several puncture wounds in the officer's vest.

The other two officers, a male and female, were treated for graze wounds and are set to be discharged Friday morning.

Gloucester Township is about 15 miles southeast of Philadelphia.


 

A pedestrian was struck by a car and killed in front of a grocery store in Vista Thursday night, officials confirmed.

The fatal collision occurred around 7:30 p.m. in the 1300 block of East Vista Way, right in front of an Albertson’s grocery store.

When deputies and medics arrived, the pedestrian was unconscious and unresponsive, officials said.

Medics requested assistance from Mercy Air and first responders administered CPR, but the patient was pronounced dead at the scene.

Deputies are at the scene investigating the cause of the crash.

The victim’s name was not immediately released.
 

A man died after a high speed car accident early Friday morning, according to California Highway Patrol.

The incident happened shortly before 3:20 a.m. near the Interstate 15 connector.

The driver, identified as 23-year-old Jesus Rodriguez, was traveling westbound on highway 94 in a Toyota Corolla at a high speed when he failed to negotiate a turn, according to officials. His car then flipped off the bridge more than 100 feet by the Home Avenue exit. The car then cartwheeled into the embankment and rolled several times.

Rodriguez was ejected from the car and pronounced dead on the scene, said CHP officials.

Officers said the driver in his mid-20s was not wearing his seatbelt. There is extensive damage to the car.

"The vehicle was going fast enough where it was able to go over the top of a wall designed to keep traffic on to the freeway," said Sgt. Kevin Mensior with CHP.

Investigators are unsure if alcohol was involved, though open beer bottles were found within the vehicle.

A local financial planner has been convicted for his part in an elaborate scheme to defraud numerous victims of more than $4.25 million, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis announced Thursday.

According to the DA, husband and wife duo Victor Loh, 61, and Jannett A. Bidwell were financial planners who advised investors to self-direct retirement funds into annuities.

From 2008 through 2009 investigators say the couple convinced 17 separate victims to jump sum transfer their retirement funds into companies that Loh and Bidwell created. They described the companies to their clients as “secure investments.”

In reality, investigators say the companies were actually vehicles for the funds to be transferred out to other accounts controlled by the couple. Loh and Bidwell would then spend their clients’ retirement funds on personal expenses, including pricey cars, horses and trips.

The couple also purchased a company that later went into bankruptcy, but continued to solicit victims to invest their retirement funds even during those bankruptcy proceedings.

According to Dumanis, many of the couple’s victims were elderly adults.

“[They] preyed on people, many of them elderly, who thought they were making a sound investment but instead saw their retirement dreams go up in smoke,” said Dumanis.

Loh was sentenced Thursday to serve six years and four months in state prison for his involvement in the fraudulent investment scheme.

Both he and Bidwell were charged on 46 counts in a criminal complaint, including grand theft from an elder or dependent adult and allegations of taking with losses in excess of $1.3 million.

The conviction was obtained after a joint investigation with the DA’s office, the U.S. Secret Service, San Diego Regional Fraud Task Force, California Department of Insurance and California Franchise Tax Board.

Loh pleaded guilty to four counts and the taking with losses allegation, stipulating him to $4.25 million in restitution, in addition to serving time in prison.

The DA’s office says Loh and Bidwell will be sentenced on June 26, 2013.
 

San Diego's mayor is now back in the news in Washington, D.C. -- making headlines for critical comments about President Obama and his former Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill.

The fun started with a phone interview that former Congressman Bob Filner gave KPCC-FM, a public radio station in Los Angeles, and wound up in Politico, a leading national news outlet for political junkies.

The focus of the radio interview?

Why Filner left Washington to run for mayor.

"The (Congressional Democrats’) leadership does to the Democrats what Republicans do to us in elections -- divide and conquer," Filner said at one point. "They keep their control by intimidation. If you don’t go along with the votes, with what they want, you’ll lose your committee assignments, your seniority … your ability to get floor time to talk, your ability to get bills passed.”

Filner’s further remarks indicate that ten terms in Congress didn't sell him on the institution or its 'ways and means'.

Not only did he have caustic words for House Republicans – “They had no respect, as it were, for government per se” -- but his own party bosses on The Hill as well.

Will that come to haunt him here as mayor?

Not in the estimation of Voice of San Diego columnist and CEO Scott Lewis.

"You criticize Congress right now, it's a pretty winning proposition," Lewis said in an interview Thursday. "(Filner is) used to being able to spout off, and I think that people are now listening more because he's mayor of a large city."

And, one who's brash enough to characterize the President – according KPCC -- as “giving away the store before sitting down to negotiate”.

Filner campaigned for mayor saying that if elected, he and his constituents would have “a friend in the White House”.

Is that now in question?

“I don’t see that (White House officials) have long memories for this sort of thing,” says Lewis. "This is what he's built his life around, is this non-violent but very aggressive conflict-type productivity."

City Club of San Diego President George Mitrovich, a former press aide to three senators who’s spent time on Capitol Hill over six decades, agrees.

"It is how (Filner) rolls,” says Mitrovich. And that's fine. I mean, that's fine … if you remember what the great (former House Speaker) Sam Rayburn said – “to get along, you go along” – I think Mr. Filner missed that memo.”

However, Mitrovich doesn’t believe that Filner has said the unpardonable, and dismisses the long-term import of a media flareup early in his mayoral tenure.

"Mr. Cubbison,” Mitrovich said, addressing his interviewer with laughter on Thursday, “ if I'm doing what you're doing, I would be ecstatic that Bob Filner is mayor of this city -- it's going to make your job so much more interesting."

Filner’s press secretary said the mayor was “unavailable” for an interview Thursday, but might have time next week.

In response to a request for comment, local Republican Party chairman Tony Krvaric emailed a statement saying it’s "laughable" that Filner is "trying to re-cast himself as some middle-of-the-road pragmatist … the worst of Congress is right now in our own back yard".

The 25-foot famous statue of two Navy sweethearts is gone but not forgotten -- and now it is returning in another form. 

Construction on a bronze replica of the statue "Unconditional Surrender" has begun, now that the permanent sculpture has been cast. 

In May, the original statue was disassembled and shipped off to New Jersey for restoration. It was on loan to the Port since 2007, but when the loan expired, the USS Midway Museum promised to raise nearly million-dollars for the bronze replacement.

Now, the turf is being removed and construction should begin soon. The new area will feature benches and Japanese friendship cherry trees. 

An unveiling ceremony is scheduled for February 16. 

The image of the couple kissing was captured first by a TIME Magazine photographer in 1945 at the end of WWII.

The statue's replacement has drawn major criticism from local leaders and members of the public. Two of the port's public art commissioners quit after the board decided to keep the statue. However, support for the statue's message convinced the museum to campaign for a replacement.

The Midway held an aggressive "Save the Kiss" campaign to come up with the money needed to fund the replica. It agreed to match donations up to $100,000 as part of the campaign. It took just two months to raise the money needed.

The bronze replica will be also be more durable and weather resistant, museum officials said.

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This year's election made for some political gems, particularly in San Diego, where a heated mayoral race unleashed aggressive campaigning and a flurry of financial conundrums fed the already stormy political environment. 

Here are the highlights of the 2012 year in local politics. 

Snapdragon Snafu: What started as a temporary name change at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium exploded into a controversy in January, with the Mayor's office accused of ignoring a strong-worded warning from the City Attorney, and one critic claiming that the name-change deal has short-changed the cash-poor city.

Nathan Fletcher leaving the GOP: Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher threw a wrench in the San Diego mayoral by announcing that he was leaving the GOP and running for mayor as an independent. Despite not going on to the general election, he brought with him hoards of CEOs and prominent followers who also decried the state of the Republican Party. 

Too drunk to drive? If only your car's ignition would lock up, preventing repeat DUI offenders from hopping behind the wheel would be so much easier.

That's the wish of the California Highway Patrol and several other law enforcement agencies, who held a news conference Friday in Redwood City, where Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) introduced a bill requiring  people convicted of a second driving-under-the-influence offense to install and use "ignition interlock devices" for one year.

"It makes no sense that .. in a society, that you can have eight or nine DUIs and you can still get a valid driver's license," Hill said at the conference. "It's time to do something about that."

The bill would also require the offender to comply with ignition interlock device calibrations every other month before full driving privileges are restored. A third DUI conviction would result in the ignition-lock installation and use for two years; a fourth or subsequent DUI conviction would require use of the device for three years, if the bill passes.

This blanket legislation has been vigoroulsy opposed by the alcoholic beverage industry, but it supports restrictions for people who have registered exceptionally high blood-alcohol levels, the Los Angeles Times reported.
 
An ignition interlock device is connected to a vehicle’s ignition and requires a breath sample before the engine starts. The device prevents the car’s engine from starting if the device detects a blood alcohol level that exceeds a pre-set limit.

Under state current law, installation of these devices is voluntary for repeat offenders. According to Hill's office, about 20 percent of those who have a choice of installing an the device or driving on a restricted license opt for ignition locking installation.
 
Hill's legislation would require repeat DUI offenders to complete a special ignition lock program in addition to completing the DUI prevention course required by current law. Under current law, second-time DUI offenders must complete an 18-month DUI course; third-time offenders or more, a 30-month course.

In 2009, the most recent year in which conviction data is available, there were 161,074 DUI convictions in California. Of those, 117,642 - or 73 percent -  were first time offenders and 43,432 - or 27 percent - were repeat offenders. The same year, drunk drivers killed more than 1,200 people and injured 26,000 in California.

Earlier this month, the National Transportation Safety Board  recommended that all people convicted of drunk driving should have ignition interlock devices installed in their cars to prevent them from operating their vehicle while intoxicated.

The NTSB said that legislation requiring ignition interlock even after the first DUI -- even for drivers who are "only a sip" over the legal limit -- could be a major factor in preventing collisions. On the day after Christmas, AAA joined the NTSB inn calling for IID installation for anyone convicted of drunk driving.

Today, 17 states require ignition interlock devices for first-time DUI offenders and at least 24 states require ignition locking devices for repeat offenders. As of this year, about 279,000 ignition interlock devices were installed and operating in the United States, including 24,000 in California, according to statistics provided by Hill's office.

Hill has long been a crusader against drinking and driving.

In 2010, he authored an assembly bill,which authorized California judges to revoke licenses for repeat DUI offenders for up to 10 years. The law went into effect Jan. 1 has the potential to take as many as 10,000 drivers off the road each year.

Last year, Hill authored a bill to crack down on underage drinking on party buses. The law goes into effect in one week, and requires chaperones on party buses when passengers are age 21 or younger and enacts penalties for bus drivers and companies that don't comply.
 
 

With the end of the year just around the corner, celebrate some of the last bits of holiday events this weekend.

Friday, Dec. 28

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
5 p.m. at The Old Globe
Catch one of the last showings of this holiday favorite at Balboa Park, before the Grinch hibernates until next season.

Saturday, Dec. 29

Holiday Lights
5:30-10:30 p.m. at Del Mar Fairgrounds
Enjoy the largest light display on the West Coast for a few more days. There are more than 400 displays to see, including the charming elf volleyball. Tickets start at $15.

Cavalia
7:30 p.m. at 1020 Imperial Ave.
It’s one of the finals viewings of this extraordinary horse show, featuring acrobatics and aw-inspiring aerial stunts. Tickets start at $49.

Sunday, Dec. 30

Art Mart
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Balboa Park
Spend some of your holiday cash supporting local artists at this weekend craft gathering. It’s free to browse, but we bet you’ll want to buy some of the unique items for sale!

International Auto Show
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at San Diego Convention Center
Car enthusiasts won’t want to miss this event featuring vehicles from across the globe. Tickets cost between $8-12.

Looking for other happenings in the area? Check out our events page.

One day before the Oakland Raiders head south, the Chargers still don’t know which quarterback will take the first snap.

Starting quarterback Carson Palmer was injured several weeks ago and is still recovering from cracked ribs and a bruised lung.

Last week, during the loss to the Carolina Panthers, it was the USC graduate Matt Leinart who got the start. But, in the 17-6 loss to the Panthers, Leinart was 16 of 32 for only 115 yards.

This week, Leinart has been splitting practice time with Terrelle Pryor.

As of the end of Thursday’s practice, offensive coordinator Greg Knapp said he still didn’t know who would be the starter.

“Some of this will be driven off of Matt being a pocket passer," Knapp said. "There's some plays where Terrelle's athletic skills can be used and maybe move him outside of the pocket and take advantage of his athleticism outside."

The Chargers had to prepare last week for a rocky quarterback situation in New York. Chargers’ head coach Norv Turner says they will be ready for either QB.

“We have tape on both guys that are talking about playing,” Turner said. “And we will prepare a little bit for each one.”

Defensive coordinator John Pagano has been renowned this season for individualizing his game plans and preparing for each quarterback uniquely, specifically, and above all, well. But he says it doesn’t really make a difference who the starter is this week.

“I think that every week is probably the same looking at a guy who’s a veteran or a guy who’s making his first start,” Pagano said. “We prepare for both and keep preparing for what Oakland does, which is that they’re very explosive in the run game and they have receivers and a tight end that can go change the game.”

Starting Friday night, San Diego County police departments plan to stage checkpoints to catch holiday revelers who choose to drink and drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

Checkpoints will start tonight in El Cajon beginning at 6 p.m. until 3 a.m. tomorrow morning.

According to a police spokesperson, the department is publicizing the checkpoints in order to get people to think about drinking and driving.

In Escondido, department statistics show that seven people were killed and 234 people have been injured in drunk driving crashes during the past three years.

In San Diego, the checkpoints will start at 9 p.m. Friday night until Saturday morning at 3:30 a.m.

The SDPD says 60 people have died and about 2,500 people have been injured in crashes. 

Meanwhile, it was a busy holiday weekend for the CHP, as DUIs and deaths were up this year statewide. Twenty people died on freeways and there were 891 DUIs throughout the state.

In San Diego there were two fatalities on the freeways this year. That's the same number in the county as last year for the Christmas holiday.

There were 50 DUIs in the county. That's down from 56 this time last year. 



 

Northbound Interstate 805 closed shortly after 8:30 a.m. on Friday for police activity, according to officials.

The interstate is closed at the state Route 54 connector between Chula Vista and National City. A SigAlert has been issued warning drivers to avoid the area.

Click here for the NBC 7 San Diego traffic map

Traffic is being diverted to SR-54 while the Plaza and Sweetwater onramps are closed.

Check back for updates on this story.